A hand-held manual surgical instrument with sturdy handles and blade-like jaws designed to distract (force apart) two bone surfaces to enable a surgical procedure, e.g., two vertebrae during a spinal surgical intervention. It has a scissors-like lever action with straight or curved handles and is typically made of high-grade stainless steel. It is available in various sizes with the distraction blades at the working end which are activated through a single or double-jointed pivot that transfers the necessary force to create distraction; the blades are typically short and slender to fit between bone segments or pre-implanted pedicle screws. This is a reusable device.